Vampire (BBC)
Vampires (also known as a Type 2) are post-Human supernatural beings who are cursed with a constant craving to kill and drink the blood of other people. Some Vampires choose to fight this urge and avoid feeding, however the majority choose to kill and feed off as many victims as possible. Vampirism is passed on when a Human is bitten and fed on by a Vampire and then drinks the Vampires's blood, in a process known as recruiting. When this happens, the person becomes immortal and cannot die naturally, however he or she will be cursed with a constant thirst for Human blood. Although Vampires can give up blood, this is extremely difficult. Normally, Vampires are indistinguishable from Humans, but when thirsty or showing aggression, a set of fangs emerge from the gums above their canines and slide down in front of them, while their eye pupils dilate until the eyes appear completely black; a process which Hal Yorke called "manifesting." The only known cure for Vampirism is by destroying the Devil, though it is uncertain whether this will cure all Vampires or just the one part of the Supernatural Trinity that destroyed the Devil. It is also unknown whether the Devil was destroyed at all. UK Version History of Vampires According to Regus, the Vampire race started when two brothers in Asia made a deal with the Devil (eternal life in exchange for the consumption of blood) and became the original Vampires. It has been speculated that Mr. Snow may have been one of these original two Vampires (due to Snow's great age and Hal Yorke's statement that Mr. Snow was one of the first Vampires), but some have discredited this (as Mr. Snow was Caucasian, whereas the original two Vampires were mentioned by Regus as being Asian). The ancestors of modern-day Vampires were strictly nocturnal, only emerging under the cover of darkness. This is why some modern day Vampires are greatly irritated when exposed to excess sunlight. Humans seemed to have been aware of Vampires up until around the 1600s - 1700s. Anyone accused of Vampirism was imprisoned in underground prisons away from normal society. In 1665, a mass cull of Vampires was arranged in Bristol, and all known Vampires were exterminated. It has since been presumed that the history of Vampires has been covered up and disguised as a myth, making present-day Humans unaware of their existence. Vampires were then forced to lead double lives as Humans to avoid persecution. The first Vampire to do this was Richard Turner, who moved to Bristol in 1630. Despite killing over 1,000 people, Turner was a highly respected figure and even ran for parliament. Turner's move to Bristol caused a mass migration of Vampires to the city, making it the heart of the British Vampire community. As the centuries progressed, Vampires became more concerned about their existence being discovered. Modern-day Vampires usually have communities disguised as abandoned businesses, where they meet and arrange killings. Many Vampires are situated in positions of high authority, such as the police. These Vampires are consulted to cover up any killings with false stories. Usually, a Human coroner is blackmailed into confirming the cause of death as an accident or suicide. A notable incident in which the Vampires' identity was nearly revealed was in 2010, in which Vampires John Mitchell and Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri killed twenty train passangers in Bristol in what was known as the Box Tunnel Massacre. Mitchell was later arrested after an investigation into the murders and was brought to a local police department where his picture was taken. As a Vampire's image cannot be captured, Mitchell's identity was discovered, and Vampires were exposed. However, Mitchell was later rescued by Vampire William Herrick who murdered all those who had discovered Vampires' existence. The story was later covered up by Edgar Wyndham, and the Vampires returned to their unknown existence. Infection , a Vampire turned in 1916.]]When a Human is bitten and fed on by a Vampire they are not automatically infected. On the point of death they must be fed the blood of the Vampire who has bitten them. A single drop of Vampire blood is enough to begin the conversion process. The person is then clinically dead for a few hours. During this time, they have visions of 'horrible things' which have not been described in detail. On re-awakening, the person is officially pronounced a Vampire and will feel an immediate craving for blood. Their blood pressure drops and a vampire´s heart beats only once per minute. From this point on, the Vampire's body will not age, and will retain the appearance it had on the day of recruitment. Vampires are capable of living forever if not killed. At least some aspects of the Vampire's mind will also stay at the level of maturity it was on the day he or she was bitten for a while. For example, the Vampire Adam Jacobs, despite being forty-six, behaved like an adolescent, as he was recruited when he was sixteen; and Hetty, who was recruited at a very young age but was nearly 470, apparently still liked to draw ponies. It is normal for the infector to look after and care for the new Vampire. For example: the Vampires William Herrick and John Mitchell kept a close partnership for over fifty years after Herrick had bitten Mitchell during the First World War. The fact that Mitchell did not do this for Lauren Drake, a Vampire he infected, is seen as harsh, and poor form by Herrick. Characteristics & Powers Abilities An absence of blood in the diet of vampires is not fatal, although they will have an intense craving for it. This craving has been shown to cause extreme pain and cramps, and seems to be far worse than the withdrawal symptoms caused by addiction to any other substance. It does not seem to be the blood itself that quenches the vampires' thirst, but the life that is drained from the human. It has been shown that blood older than a few hours has little effect on satisfying a vampire's hunger, and is not seen as a viable alternative. Although a Vampire's normal heart rate is only one beat per minute, they can cause their heart to beat faster in order to mimic a human heartbeat. When Mitchell was hospitalised in series one, doctors could not initially find his heartbeat when they were trying to operate on him. When he was later shown in bed and hooked up to a heart monitor, the machine was bleeping in a regular rhythm, as would be expected of a human. This would imply that Vampires can learn to control their heart rate to some extent. A Vampire's image cannot be captured by any sort of film, camera or mirror (although their reflection can be seen in other reflective surfaces. it is just mirrors they cannot be reflected in) . According to Hal Yorke, this is because the Devil takes each Vampire's reflection as a way of reminding them that their souls belong to him due to the pact with the Devil from which the Vampire race started. In actuality this can be either a strength or a weakness depending on the situation; a strength, in that their image cannot be traced photographically through the ages, but a weakness, as it can reveal them in situations in which a mirror image or photograph is expected, such as a photographic ID card. Therefore, it is vitally important that vampires are not arrested after killing their victims, as this would mean a mug shot would have to be taken, revealing their kind to the world. Vampires have superhuman strength, speed, senses, endurance, and healing factor. They are capable of single-handedly committing massacres in a short amount of time without any fatigue; the famous Box Tunnel Twenty Massacre, in which twenty train passengers were brutally killed by vampires John Mitchell and Daisy Hannigan-Speteri, is a good example of a vampire's capacity for destruction. Vampires evolve and grow stronger with the passing of time, the older the vampire, the stronger he/she tends to be. The ancient Mr Snow was, for example, able to casually disembowel a human with one hand. Vampires can also sense whether a werewolf is present purely by their smell, and they can also see other supernatural beings such as ghosts. Weaknesses Vampires can survive in sunlight, although they tend to stay covered up. John Mitchell often seen in daylight wearing heavy coats and sunglasses, even when it is not necessary to wear such items. Vampires are repelled by religious symbols or writings, almost to the point of pain. These symbols can be of any religion. An example of this is when George Sands and a priest forced a pair of Vampires to retreat using George's Star of David necklace and quotations from Bible passages. George used his Star of David necklace against Vampire Seth and even the powerful Herrick, forcing each away from him. However, the symbol's effectiveness is at least partailly controlled by the owner's feelings. If the owner is feels affection for a Vampire, the symbol will not affect them. This is explained by Herrick, as George was curious how Mitchell can happily look after the necklace. If there are more Vampires than religious items, the symbol's power is also weakened. Vampires are also unable to walk on consecrated ground, such as a church or any other place of worship. When George shows the resurrected Herrick, who forgot he was a Vampire, the Star of David necklace again, Herrick is undisturbed. Religious symbols of any faith do not affect Old Ones, as seen with Hal and Mr Snow. Vampires cannot enter a private building unless they have been invited. When Herrick tries to get into Mitchell's house, he is stuck on the threshold, pushing against an invisible barrier. However, it seems that once a Vampire has reached a certain age (such as 1,000 years old), they can enter a building without having to be invited. Cutler managed to enter a building uninvited, however it appeared to cause him intense pain, and his skin burned horribly. Althought garlic does not pain a Vampire, the Vampire displays some degree of disgust for garlic, as Mitchell is shown to cringe away from the garlic in McNair's van. A Vampire can only be killed permanently by a wooden stake piercing through the heart. When this happens, Vampires experience a Human-like death which can include blood loss and organ failure before turning to ash, leaving just their clothes behind. The only other way that a Vampire can be killed is if they suffer extreme injuries, such as those caused by a Werewolf attack, broken neck, or explosion. However, Vampires can be resurrected from any death other than the former; this can be achieved if the blood of other Vampires are allowed to drip onto the remains of the dead Vampire. The Blood of a Werewolf is toxic to a Vampire and can kill quickly if it is drunk by one. Werewolf blood is so toxic to vampires that it burns them upon skin contact. Powers and Abilities (Shorter Version) *Super Strength *Super Speed *Super Senses *Super Endurance *Super Healing *Immortality *Ability to smell werewolves and see ghosts Weaknesses (Shorter Version) *Sunlight (Only causes discomfort) *Garlic (Only causes discomfort, reveals vampires fangs in US version) *No Reflection *Religious symbols and places (Doesn't affect Old Ones or at least Vampires who are over 500 years old, only in UK version) *Invitation (Doesn't affect Old Ones, or at least Vampires over 1000 years old, only in UK version) *Hunger for blood *Werewolf blood *Unknown methods Ways to kill a vampire (Shorter Version) *Wooden Stake *Werewolf Blood *Broken Spine *Beheading *Being blown up *Unknown methods Resurrected Vampires Vampires can be resurrected if Vampire blood is allowed to drip onto their remains. In Herrick's case he was killed by being ripped to pieces by George in his Werewolf form and so presumably the Vampire blood allowed the pieces to rejoin together. Once they have been resurrected, Vampires will lose all memory of their former life. They will even forget that they are a Vampire and most think that they are insane when they wish to feed on blood. Interestingly, Vampire in this state will remain completely unfazed by crosses (indicating that their vulnerability to the trappings of faith may be at least partly psychosomatic). However, when the resurrected Vampire has fed for the first time, their killer instinct will return and their memory will come back. It is unknown if vampires can be resurrected for a second time. It is unclear if vampires can manifest as ghosts; werewolves have been shown to appear as ghosts- albeit briefly after they have died for the first time-, but vampires have always just died after being staked without any sign that something has passed on after their physical demise. Supernatural Relationships Werewolves Vampires and Werewolves have been shown to have a very hostile relationship with each other, seemingly lasting millenia. Most of the time they have a contempt for each other. Even in relatively civil interactions Werewolves are seen as something dirty and unclean by Vampires. Werewolves George Sands and Nina Pickering are often subject to dog-related insults as are other Werewolves. Vampires commonly see Werewolves as being below them and can tell by smell if a Werewolf is present. The Vampire Adam Jacobs is initially disgusted by George and Nina. When Nina and George try to sit down in the home of two vampires, one of the Vampires puts some newspaper down over the sofa. The most likely reason for the hatred that Vampires have for Werewolves stems from that fact that although a Vampire is on average stronger than a Werewolf in it's Human form, a fully-transformed Werewolf is the only being whose strength greatly exceeds that of a Vampire. However, on a few occasions, Werewolves have been subject to violence from Vampires. When George and Mitchell first met, George was being brutally attacked by some Vampires that Mitchell was forced to fight off. Some Vampires have even been known to kidnap Werewolves for 'dog fights' in which they are forced to fight each other or Humans in their wolf form. It is known that a major, organised conflict took place between Werewolves and Vampires in Europe from 1911 to 1918, and that Hal believed this war to have triggered World War 1. A brief truce was called in order to find the source of this conflict and bring it to an end. Ghosts Vampires have a small amount of awe and fascination towards Ghosts. A Vampire curiously questions the Ghost of Annie Sawyer on what it is like being a Ghost and continues to politely ask her other questions. It may be the fact that Vampires are practically dead and so have a connection with the spirit world. Demons Vampires are aware of Demons and regard them and their half breed offspring with a level of awe and fear. This is most likely because their abilities are both powerful and unpredictable, and capable of influencing vampires with little effort. Hal was terrified of Yvonne and her abilities even though she was unaware of her true nature, since her obsession-inducing power could have driven him to kill again. Demons are implied to regard vampires and werewolves as an indirect food source; feeding on the energy released by their strife and conflict. US Version History The orgins for vampires in the US series is unknown but they have existed for over 2000 years. Creation No human has been shown being turned into a vampire, but the process seems to involve feeding the human vampire blood, as indicated by Suren. Abilities Vampires can move at great speed, and have incredible strength and endurance. They also heal from wounds that would be lethal to humans at an astonishing rate. These abilities all depend on the vampire having fed on human blood recently, however, and if cut off from blood for an extended period of time, vampires grow weaker and weaker until they are barely able to move. It is also possible for vampires to compel humans and control their minds, but it is apparently extremely difficult, and Aidan in particular has not been successful at it once so far in the series. Compulsion doesn't seem to work on other vampires, werewolves, or ghosts. Weaknesses While sunlight is not lethal to them like in traditional folklore, vampires strongly dislike direct sunlight, which seems to cause them pain and discomfort. Aidan states that vampires long ago were indeed incabable of going out in the sun, but they gradually adapted and are now merely 'photosensitive'. Vampires cannot be killed in most ways that humans can, but it has been demonstrated that piercing the heart with wood, total decapitation, or draining the body completely of blood are all potential methods of destroying them. Houses owned by humans or werewolves cannot be entered by vampires without the owner's permission, unless the vampire itself lives there. Attempting to enter uninvited for more than a few seconds will cause the vampire to essentially burn and melt away. Interestingly, if the ownership of the house officially changes while a vampire is still inside it, the invitation is nullified, and the vampire will perish unless he or she escapes immediately. In one episode, a house full of vampires is massacred simply by deeding the building to a human lawyer. Garlic, while not harmful, forces vampires to reveal their true nature, turning their eyes black and causing their fangs to show. When a vampire feeds from a werewolf they began to bleed from their eyes and nose. If a vampire feeds from a human that had the flu virus then they will die within days unless the vampire has drunk werewolf blood. Relationships Werewolves: Werewolves are viewed with disgust by most vampires, who are repulsed by an odor given off by the werewolves that only vampires can detect. Whereas the vampires like to think of themselves as organized and civilized, they see werewolves as savage, unkempt vagabonds. Ghosts : Vampires may view them as a nuisance, as they are sometimes haunted by the ghosts of their human victims. Known Vampires Image:Edgar 1.jpg|Edgar Wyndham Image:Hettie.jpg|Hettie Image:Ivan.png|Ivan Image:Herrick.jpg|William Herrick Image:Mitchell.jpg|John Mitchell Image:Daisy.png|Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri Image:Adambin2.jpg|Adam Jacobs Image:Lauren.jpg|Lauren Drake Image:Bernie.jpg|Bernie Image:Kara.jpg|Cara Image:Seth.jpg|Seth Default.jpg|Hal Yorke|link=Hal Yorke 'List of Vampires in Order of age in the UK series' *'Mr. Snow' (3000+, deceased) *'Edgar Wyndham' (1000+, deceased) *'The Old Ones /Griffin' (elder vampires, deceased) *'Jacob' (elder vampire, status unclear) *'Hal '(500+) *'Hetty' (464+) *'Regus' (400+) *'Richard Turner '(380+, status unclear) *'Ivan' (237, deceased) *'Fergus' (over 157, deceased) *'William Herrick' (165, 167, deceased) *'John Mitchell' (118, deceased) *'Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri' (90+, deceased) *'Nick Cutler' (80+, deceased) *'Adam Jacobs' (46) *'Lauren Drake' (deceased) *'Michaela Thompson' *'Ian Crumb' (new vampire, deceased) *'Alan '(deceased) *'Bernie' *Other unnamed vampires seen or unseen (some are deceased) 'List of Vampires in Order of age in the US series' *'Mother' (Late 4th Century BC, deceased) *'Heggeman' (1,010, deceased) *'Soltice' (elder vampire, deceased) *'Dutch 1' (Elder vampire, deceased) *'Dutch 2' (Elder vampire, deceased) *'Atlee '(Elder vampire, deceased) *'Suren' (700 years, deceased) *'Carlo' (528+ vampire, deceased) *'Bishop' (528, deceased) *'Aidan McCollin '(258) *'Marcus Damnian '(246,deceased) *'Henry' (93, deceased) *'Blake ' (11, deceased) *'Cecilia' (New vampire, deceased) *'Jeff Weston '(New vampire, deceased) *'Rebecca Flynt '(New vampire,deceased) *'Bernie (Syfy)' (New vampire, deceased) * It is revealed due to the vampire virus, that Aidan is considered the oldest/strongest in the dying vampire species. Behind the scenes *Following Captain Hatch's apparent death in The Last Broadcast, which apparently resulted in Hal Yorke becoming human again due to Vampirism's origins in Hatch, it is uncertain whether Hatch's death cured all Vampires of their Vampirism, or just Hal because the latter was part of the Supernatural Trinity which destroyed Hatch. Category:Vampires Category:Characters Category:Supernatural Beings Category:Undead Category:Species Category:Type 2